Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
This verse says some of the most profound things about Jesus than anywhere in the Bible. To look at Jesus is to see the human representation of God. This is not a physical representation since God is spirit but the radiance of God’s glory. In Exodus 34 Moses asked to see God’s glory. He could only see the fading glory of God as he hid behind a rock. God’s glory was so overwhelming to him. John 1:14 says that we have seen the glory of the Son. Glory describes God’s awesomeness summarized in Exodus 34:6-7: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” These are all on display in Jesus. The author then states that Jesus sustains all things by his word. What is this word? John 1:1-4 states that Jesus is the Word from God. Jesus is the voice of God. This voice spoke love, forgiveness but also justice and holiness. The word was the good news that brings new life and healing to brokenness. Life itself is held in this word. Jesus also brought purification for sins by offering his life as the ultimate sacrifice for sins. He became what we could never offer. Our sins demand our life, since the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), but we could never overcome the power of sin. Jesus took care of the penalty for our acts of disobedience and the problem of our inner brokenness of sin. He changes our dirty hearts into pure hearts. Finally, because of his obedience to this sacrificial death, God exalted him to the right hand of the throne, a symbolic representation of the highest place of honor. This makes him worthy to be called Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). He is worthy of our commitment and faith.
For older posts, click here.